MARY GANNON
Chair, New Hampshire

For over 30 years, Mary has been involved with social justice education and activism personally and professionally throughout Northern New England. Her interests lie in educating and organizing through the lens of racial and social justice to co-create communities that care about the healing and well-being of everyone, and where the voices of underrepresented and invisible peoples are at the forefront of the conversation. Mary has extensive experience in training and teaching, facilitating dialogues on a range of social justice issues, and supporting community stakeholders in the co-creation of coalitions to address racial and social injustices in their community. A resident of Winchester, New Hampshire, Mary’s work is informed by her bi-state perspective and activist network. She is a founding member of the Community Equity Collaborative in Brattleboro VT, and works closely with other activist groups in Vermont. 

Rights & Democracy’s vision and mission are aligned with her values, belief system and the approach through which she engages with individuals, organizations, schools, and communities. Mary believes that a deeper understanding of our history and truth-telling is essential to disrupting structural oppression and she feels a deep sense of urgency to engage with an organization whose mission speaks to the dignity, liberation and the well-being of all.

AMANDA JANOO
Vermont

Amanda is the Knowledge and Policy Lead for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEALL). Amanda is an economic policy expert with over a decade of experience working with governments and international development institutions around the world. Her work aims to build just and sustainable economies through goal-oriented and participatory policy design processes.

Prior to joining WEAll, Amanda worked for the United Nations and the African Development Bank as an industrial policy and structural transformation expert. As a Fulbright researcher, she explored the relationship between international trade and informal employment. She graduated from Cambridge University with an MPhil in Development Studies and heralds from South Strafford, Vermont.

PROF. JAMIE MCCALLUM
Vermont

Jamie is an author and activist living in Weybridge, Vermont. He teaches sociology at Middlebury College, where he’s the co-leader of the American Association of University Professors. He’s the author and/or editor of three books and his work has been featured in scholarly journals, as well as the New York Times, The New Yorker, Washington Post, The Nation, Mother Jones, Jacobin, Dissent, etc. He’s been a professional and amateur labor activist for half his life.